How to make your holiday road trip a holiday

If you're travelling on the nation's highways this holiday season, be prepared for anything.

Photograph by: Bruce Edwards
, edmontonjournal.com

Visiting friends and family in Weyburn, Sask., Victoria, B.C., or Moncton, N.B., can be great fun if you don't get out much. As Canadians, road-tripping seems to be a way of life. It's tough to get lost when there's generally only one road connecting our towns, but what about when you do finally get to your unfamiliar destination?

We might all have been laughing when Chevy Chase took the wrong off-ramp in the movie Vacation and ended up buying his way back onto the freeway, but dodging in and out of traffic when we have no idea where we're heading is no joke.

Many drivers, after seeing the out-of-state plates on your vehicle, will cut you some slack. Some won't.

You think it's frustrating in downtown gridlock when you don't live there? Just think how frustrating it is for the guy who's stuck behind an RV taking up three lanes of traffic and travelling at half the speed limit because the driver has no idea where he's going and might need to turn at any time.

THIS is a road trip? So, if you're planning on hitting the highway for a road trip and to visit friends in Regina, Sask., when you come from Brandon, Man., or wherever this holiday season, here are some tips to take along for the ride:

1) You might be relaxed on your excursion, but your driving habits - because you're most likely unfamiliar with your destination - should be on high alert for the unexpected. This leads to...

2) Assume that other drivers will do all the crummy things they do in your hometown: tailgate; not signal; unexpectedly change lanes; and drive too fast. Why should things be any different anywhere else, right?

3) Just because you're on a little adventure doesn't mean the rest of the world is, or cares that you happen to be. Keep to the posted speed limits and don't be a slowpoke. Conversely, using "tourist" ignorance of the local laws rarely gets you out of a speeding ticket. There are posted limits, just like at home.

4) If you miss a street, it's no reason to panic and cause a 10-car pileup by slamming on the brakes. You can always turn down the next street, or make a U-turn. Relax, you're supposed to be having fun. (Note to other drivers: contrary to what you might think, honking and yelling "watch where you're going, idiot," isn't helpful.) A little signaling will get you a long way.

5) If you're looking for a specific address, turn off or turn down the volume of the stereo. It's an unnecessary distraction, and, for sure, stay off the phone unless you're safely pulled off the road.

6) Get a map of where you're going and study it before you arrive. There's all kinds of time in the vehicle before you get to your destination, so keep your co-pilot busy figuring out where you need to go.

7) Before you leave for parts unknown, take some time to look up locations on the Internet and print maps of all of your confirmed destinations, like hotels, restaurants, and major attractions. It will spare a lot of time, gas and frustration on your part and that of the other drivers. Just Google it, as the saying goes.

8) This is a biggie: avoid arriving in major metropolitan areas during rush hour. People are just trying to get home, so don't add to the misery by sightseeing at 5 p.m. Oh, avoiding rush hour is also better for you, too, since you'll be able meander about and sightsee when there are fewer vehicles on the road to rear end.

9) Just before you arrive in the outskirts of a big city, fill up with gas. The only thing worse than being a tourist stuck in gridlock, is being a tourist who runs out of gas in gridlock.

10) Did you remember your CAA membership? 11) Know where you're going for one other important reason: locals don't always give the best directions. Some are so familiar with the area they might forget significant details. (Others just want to play "send the out-of-towner on a wild-goose chase.")

12) This point needs repeating. Don't forget to pack your brain. The rules of the road don't change from city to city. You still have to signal, shoulder check, pick ONE lane, and stop at red lights. It's North America, for Pete's sake, it's not like you have to get used to driving on the other side of the road. The makeup of each city is similar: traffic signs; one ways; and drivers who get ticked off if you cut them off or follow too closely.

13) We would all agree that visibility is rather important to getting around, so don't pack your vehicle to the roof with Christmas gifts, thereby blocking your vision out of every window. If there's so much stuff that your rear-view mirror is useless, leave some gear at home or redistribute the load.

14) Get your car checked before you head out. Few things are as bad as your car breaking down in a strange city where you have no idea where to send your car once the tow truck picks it up.

15) Have fun and remember that happy times might mean a drink here or there, so be sure that one of your party is good to drive, or, better yet, get a cab: at least they know their way around town.

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